1988: Back to the human world for a few years

Chapter 129 Expectation
After a very sumptuous welcoming banquet in which no alcohol was consumed, the two technicians, accompanied by Yang Mo, visited the Fifth Farm.

"Team Leader Yang..."

Li Guofu had just opened his mouth when Yang Mo interrupted him: "Teacher Li, call me Xiao Yang... You and Teacher Huang are real agricultural experts. Don't say that you two are here to help us... Even if you are not, in front of technology, the master is respected. I dare not be presumptuous. You should call me Xiao Yang, otherwise I will feel uncomfortable all over... Besides, didn't we call each other that before? I like it very much."

Looking at Yang Mo who was looking at him with a smirk on his face, Li Guofu sighed. Although he felt helpless, his heart warmed up: "Okay then, I'll call you Xiao Yang."

"Hey! That's right. The two teachers are my elders, and now we have a request for them... We have to be polite so that they can see how hungry we are for talent, right?" Yang Mo smiled and handed over two cigarettes, joking like a real junior.

I learned at the dinner table just now that both of them had been locked up in cattle pens (livestock research, especially research on small poultry with economic value, was treated differently from ordinary agricultural research at a certain period of time).

Even so, after the reform and opening up, even if he sometimes didn't even get paid in full and had to help work in the village to earn subsidies to support his family, he still stayed at the grassroots level without regrets. Not to mention anything else, this alone was enough to make Yang Mo sincerely submit to Xiao.

Upon hearing this, Li Guofu looked at Huang Yan and immediately laughed, feeling much less restrained.

"Yang...Xiao Yang, although according to the instructions of the institute, the main purpose of Lao Huang and I coming here this time is to provide planning guidance for the newly established joint breeding farm, but in fact, this is already the beginning of the 817 project."

Facing this young leader who was about the same age as his daughter but one level higher than him, Li Guofu corrected his address in time, and then habitually stomped on the ridge in front of him: "817 hybrid broiler chickens are different from other breeds. They do not have stable paternal and maternal sources. Any large rooster can be the father, and any commercial egg-laying chicken with good traits can be the mother;"

"This means that although it is collectively called 817 hybrid broiler chicken, it can be subdivided into more than sub-breeds of different sizes, and each sub-breed has different traits and characteristics, and may not be exactly the same as the Braised Chicken breed... We have to say this in advance, otherwise it will be bad if there is any misunderstanding later."

Hearing this, Yang Mo laughed: "Teacher Li, I don't need to worry about this... In fact, it is because of this feature of the 817 hybrid broiler that we are willing to do this joint breeding project at all costs."

This is the truth. The reason why the 817 hybrid broiler chicken has been able to carve out a niche in the fragmented broiler market, and even rise against the trend, with its white and yellow feathers on the outside and three yellow catkins on the inside, is not only because of its advantageous breeding costs and high flavor retention, but more importantly, it can change according to actual needs and cultivate the most suitable varieties for corporate usage scenarios in the system.

This point is worth a fortune. If someone does not have a certain amount of business experience, they will never realize how terrible this point is.

Take the beginning of the 817 project as an example. The research team cultivated the first batch of varieties and sent them to Dezhou and Yucheng Braised Chicken Companies according to their requirements.
As a result, when making braised chicken, it was found that although these broilers were of low cost and retained good flavor, the chicken legs were short and could not be solidified into shape; at the same time, the chicken breast skin was thin and easily damaged during the braising process, which ruined the appearance.

Logically speaking, with two problems that would affect commercial value arising at the same time, Project 817 should have failed, right?

But the result is no.

Only a month or two later, the research team provided another batch of samples.

Then surprisingly, the problems of short legs and thin skin were solved at the same time, and it naturally became a special breed of roast chicken.

This is the amazing thing about the 817 hybrid broiler chicken. As long as it does not exceed the characteristic limits of its parents, it can meet any trait requirements you make within a reasonable range through permutations and combinations.

This feature has become more and more competitive with the development of the economy, the diversification of market demand and the refinement of the market... In fact, it is because of this that the 817 hybrid broiler chickens in later generations can occupy nearly % of the market share in the huge domestic broiler consumer market.

But it is obvious that all the scientific researchers of Qilu Academy of Agricultural Sciences, including the 817 project team, have not yet realized what an amazing thing they have come up with.

Therefore, when Li Guofu heard that Yang Mo had spent five million to set up this joint breeding farm just because he was interested in this, he was a little stunned.

Seeing this, Yang Mo quickly explained: "Teacher Li, I will not hide it from you. If the 817 hybrid broiler can only breed the breed for making braised chicken, it actually does not meet our needs... After all, Dezhou braised chicken requires a well-proportioned body, and requires the whole chicken to have moderate bones and meat, and small broilers are preferred;"

"But the main product of Momo Baizha is chicken steak, and the raw materials for making chicken steak are mainly chicken breast and chicken thigh, so it is definitely not suitable to use the roasted chicken breed... Even if its breeding cost is low and the speed of slaughter is fast, it is not cost-effective. After all, the labor cost and facility cost are there and cannot be avoided;"

"To put it simply, if the 817 project did not have the feature of being able to adjust the characteristics of broiler breeds according to demand, I would rather spend a little more money and import white-feathered chickens directly from abroad... Although this breed, if not domesticated locally, will have disadvantages such as being unable to adapt to local climates, being prone to disease, and being difficult to raise, it is a complete medicine jar, and its flavor is incomparable to that of local chickens, but as the saying goes, whiteness can cover up a hundred flaws, and its meat yield is there!"

Upon hearing this, Li Guofu looked at Yang Mo in surprise. He didn't expect that this young man would think this way. He also didn't expect that the other party would have more confidence in the 817 broiler chicken than scientific researchers like himself.

"What I mean is... Xiao Yang, you want us to help breed a variety of chicken with higher meat content in breast and thigh?" Huang Yan touched his chin, his eyes revealing the excitement and anticipation unique to scientific researchers facing challenges.

Yang Mo nodded: "Yes, by then the Fifth Farm will set up a breed selection center... about three acres of land, dedicated to experimenting, adjusting, and optimizing broiler breeds... This is a long and continuous process, and our goal is not just to breed a breed that meets the needs of chicken fillets. As long as a more suitable breed is bred, the four farms, including the Fifth Farm, will immediately start the breed iteration."

Continuous adjustment?

Start product iteration immediately?

Huang Yan took a breath and was shocked by the young man's decisiveness.

You know, according to the current habits of state-owned enterprises, even a small change in the feed feeding plan requires discussion for a year or two, and then a pilot project is carried out slowly, and then gradually rolled out.

Is it really possible to iterate immediately after a new variety comes out?

Li Guofu didn't doubt Yang Mo's words. Even if he was slow-witted, he could see at the dinner table just now that the Fifth Farm completely respected this young man. As long as he gave the order, the Fifth Farm would probably not hesitate at all.

As for discussions and processes... we are all within the system, and everyone knows that those things are just made up to avoid taking the blame. As long as there are tall people willing to step up and take the responsibility, those things can be solved for you in minutes.

"Continuous breeding... Well, there is no problem with this. After all, no matter what breed it is, as long as it is within the trait range of the 817 hybrid broiler chicken, it can usually be marketed in 5 to 8 weeks. This speed is not a difficult task as long as the breeding direction is clear and the arrangement and combination are done well, and the cost will not be very high." Li Guofu nodded, with a hint of caution in his expectant eyes.

As a scientific researcher, the biggest dream is probably to have a laboratory where they can do whatever they want. Therefore, the three-acre breeding center mentioned by Yang Mo is much more attractive to them than other places.

However, in the past few decades, these people have suffered enough from insufficient funds and have become accustomed to the money-saving behavior of their superiors. Therefore, whenever they encounter a project that attracts them, the first thing they do is to mention the "low cost".

Seeing this, Yang Mo laughed and said, "Teacher Li, you don't have to worry about the cost. According to the plan, there are two sets of funding allocation plans for this breeding institute... The first one is that before the joint breeding farm is profitable, the research costs and material procurement costs of the breeding institute will be allocated by the management guidance team, which is about 5 yuan per month... Of course, this fee does not include the construction costs of the breeding institute and the salaries and benefits of the employees. It is a real scientific research fund;"

"The second is that after the joint breeding farm starts to make a profit, it will convert 1-3% of the profit into scientific research funds to promote the work of variety selection and variety optimization... When the joint breeding farm starts to make a profit to a certain stage, it will bear the scientific research funds by itself, and the management guidance group will no longer allocate funds."

“Of course, no matter which plan it is, it will not be lower than 5 yuan per month. This is the baseline... If the joint breeding farm is profitable, it will not be a problem to increase the scientific research funding to or yuan per month... By then, we will iterate the equipment, go abroad for further studies, and introduce foreign breeds with special parents." How much?
5 yuan!!
Still a month! ?
Li Guofu and Huang Yan's jaws almost dropped. If Yang Mo hadn't repeated the number once again, they would have almost thought they were suffering from heatstroke and auditory hallucinations.

Are you sure you're not kidding?

These days, some allocate funds based on the number of projects; some allocate funds based on years; and some even advance the expenses themselves and then apply for special funds after achieving certain results.

But in the field of agricultural research, no matter which one, I have never seen research funds allocated on a monthly basis... People have made it very clear that this is real and pure research funding, which is different from the stuff in the institute that is called "funding" but is actually salary!

Although the monthly allocation of research funds is obviously to catch up with the project progress, but anyway...

5 yuan a month!
That’s 60 million a year!
God have pity on them. They have been working in scientific research for half their lives. The total funding for a single agricultural research project exceeds 2 yuan, which can be counted on one’s fingers!

Don't disbelieve it? The current scientific research funds in the fields of military industry, chemical industry, materials, machinery, and computers may exceed one million or even tens of millions, but in agriculture, a project exceeding 10 yuan is considered a large project... The financial difficulties in the domestic scientific research field are evident at this time.

………………

Seeing the two researchers' mouths trembling as they repeatedly confirmed, Yang Mo sighed, raised three fingers to the sky and swore that he had not lied to them, and then said with a serious expression: "This breeding center is of utmost importance. Although the two teachers are the outposts and help with the planning of the breeding farm, they also shoulder the responsibility of urgently selecting the scientific research team;"

"So, let's cut to the chase and tell the two teachers about our scientific research team's ideas and requirements so that they can recruit... no, select people when they return."

Yang Mo, who almost made a mistake in his speech, coughed awkwardly. Seeing that Li Guofu and Huang Yan pretended not to hear him tacitly, he took out a cigarette and lit it for them.

"First, since the two teachers said that the breeding of 817 hybrid broilers is actually a process of permutations and combinations, it is very important to understand the characteristics of various broiler parents at home and abroad... Therefore, there must be no less than two technicians who are familiar with this content... After all, this is actually a very tedious job that requires deduction, and the workload in the early stages is large, so one person is definitely not enough."

Li Guofu and Huang Yan nodded and had no objection... In fact, this requirement was not high at all. Those who could enter the Poultry Research Institute would naturally not be unfamiliar with the characteristics of various broiler parents.

Seeing this, Yang Mo smiled and said, "Secondly, large-scale broiler farming is completely different from small-scale or family farming, and epidemic prevention is of utmost importance, so..."

"I also need to hire a researcher who is proficient in the scientific design of chicken houses... After all, whether it is ventilation, temperature control or light control, it is directly related to the epidemic prevention and production of broiler chickens, and it cannot be easily sloppy;"

"In addition, I need the two teachers to help me find one or more people who are proficient in epidemic prevention... Whether it is chicken epidemic prevention, feeding medication, real-time prevention and control, or even harmless treatment of feces, he needs to be proficient... Of course, the most important thing is that this person must keep up with the times and cannot just use Western antibiotics blindly... The two teachers should know that this will not only make broilers resistant to drugs, but also affect the flavor of broilers to a certain extent, and also bring safety risks."

Li Guofu was troubled when he heard this. Poultry disease prevention is a cross-disciplinary job. Although as a member of the Poultry Research Institute, regardless of whether he switched to this field or not, he had some understanding of pathology. However, large-scale breeding and small-scale breeding are two different things. In the absence of relevant experience, it is indeed not easy to find ready-made people.

The key is……

Yang Mo required that Western antibiotics should not be used blindly, which meant that this person must not only be proficient in pharmacy, but also be very familiar with the properties and immune characteristics of various broiler breeds, and must have a certain attainment in microbiology and environmental science - what the country lacks most at the moment is compound talents, so how can it be so easy to find them?

Huang Yan also looked embarrassed, but after thinking for a while, his eyes suddenly lit up: "Xiao Yang, what you mean is... the prevention of the epidemic is not limited to one person, but can be completed in the form of a team of multiple people?"

Yang Mo nodded and said, "That's right, Mr. Huang. You don't have to worry about the cost. Just invite the right people... As the saying goes, one hero needs three helpers. Epidemic prevention in large-scale poultry farming is a well-known problem. Even though the 817 hybrid broiler chickens are more resistant, they also face difficult challenges in this regard... Therefore, collective wisdom and efforts are the best way."

At this point, Yang Mo hesitated for a moment and suggested, "Actually, I have a wild idea... Can you two teachers focus not only on the Poultry Research Institute? As far as I know, Western antibiotics are not the only option for drug prevention... If we can find a talent who has experience in poultry farming and is proficient in traditional Chinese medicine, we may get unexpected surprises."

Traditional Chinese medicine for epidemic prevention and breeding is a well-known subject that is not well known to the general public in later generations. With the development of science and technology, everyone is surprised to find that the effect of Chinese medicinal materials in harmless epidemic prevention is much stronger than antibiotics, and it can also significantly increase the flavor of meat... In fact, long before the country paid attention to this matter, farms in major developed countries around the world had already discovered this problem, and some countries have even explored related technologies and traditional Chinese medicine feed formulas.

However, Chinese medicinal materials at that time also widely contained excessive amounts of heavy metals and pesticide residues, and their effective substances were reduced. In addition, with the continuous increase in the prices of Chinese medicinal materials, the cost of this preventive measure was much higher than using cheap antibiotics. Therefore, except for some high-value economic animals, few people would adopt this preventive measure.

But in 1989, this was not something to worry about. The current ecological environment is completely different from that of later generations. Since industrialized cultivation has not yet been achieved, the content of effective substances in various Chinese medicinal materials is not guaranteed. The prices of most Chinese medicinal materials suitable for animal husbandry are no different from weeds... You know, there is also the saying of "substitute" for Chinese medicinal materials. These are things mixed in feed for poultry, and there is no need to deliberately pursue zero casualties. Therefore, there is no need to be so particular about it.

Chinese medicine?

traditional Chinese medicine?

Huang Yan and Li Guofu's eyes lit up when they heard this. As researchers who have been working at the grassroots level for a long time, they naturally knew that animals are sometimes much smarter than humans think. It is not uncommon for injured and sick cats and dogs to go to the mountains to find herbs to chew on by themselves. This idea will definitely work!
I've been doing this for so many years, how come I didn't expect this?
This plan is absolutely reliable!
This is not the later times. There are a lot of truly capable Chinese medicine practitioners, herbalists and barefoot doctors. It is not difficult to find a few reliable candidates.

Seeing the two people's happy expressions, Yang Mo also laughed: "Teachers, the rest, such as the importance of feed ratio, temperature and environment control, light control, etc., are better known to you than me. When the time comes, I will trouble you two teachers to help me invite some relevant professionals to come... You can decide on this matter, and then report it directly to Vice President Diao."

Huang Yan and Li Guofu nodded. As a member of the Poultry Research Institute, they naturally knew the importance of these tasks. In fact, these things were what they were most familiar with... Their familiarity and expertise were even better than hybrid breeding.

Yang Mo looked at the sky and smiled. "Now that the two teachers have a general idea of ​​the joint breeding project, let's talk while we walk and discuss what kind of planning is needed here, what equipment needs to be purchased in advance, and how many technicians need to be transferred from these units to cooperate with future work."

At this point, Yang Mo remembered that he had forgotten to mention a particularly important number, and immediately slapped his head and said, "Look at my memory... I forgot to tell you two teachers that the initial scale of this joint breeding project is scheduled to be 2000 million broilers... Based on the speed of 6 weeks, and based on the calculation that there are a total of 4 units participating in the project, the chicken house that needs to be built on the fifth farm is required to accommodate 10 817 hybrid broilers at the same time, but the other three units only need to accommodate 5 at the same time... You two teachers can calculate according to this scale."

hiss~!

Accommodating 100,000 broiler chickens at the same time?
The two were shocked... This scale is already comparable to ordinary medium-sized farms abroad, and in today's domestic situation, it is even a first-tier existence.

But the question is... why do the other three companies only require a breeding scale of 5?
Is it because the areas of those three units are not large enough?

Or……

What other considerations are there?

With deep doubts, Huang Yan and Li Guofu followed behind Yang Mo and began to carefully look at the flat land in front of them that had been specially allocated...

(End of this chapter)